John Van Koert Designed Console/Cart
About the Item
- Creator:John Van Koert (Designer),Drexel (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 39.88 in (101.3 cm)Depth: 17.88 in (45.42 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960-1969
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. scratches, nicks.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:
Drexel
While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer's story actually begins decades before its celebrated postwar-era Declaration line took shape.
In 1903, in the small town of Drexel in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, six partners came together to found a company that would become one of the country’s leading furniture producers. The first offerings from Drexel Furniture were simple: a bed, washstand and bureau all crafted from native oakwood, sold as a bedroom suite for $14.50.
One of Drexel’s early innovations was to employ staff designers, something the company initiated in the 1930s. This focus on design, which few other furniture companies were committing to at the time, allowed Drexel to respond to a variety of new and traditional tastes. This included making pieces inspired by historic European furniture, like the popular French Provincial–style Touraine bedroom and dining group that borrowed its curves from Louis XV-era furniture. Others replicated the ornate details of 18th-century chinoiserie or the embellishments of Queen Anne furniture. Always ready to adapt to new customer demands, during World War II, Drexel built a sturdy desk designed especially for General Douglas MacArthur.
In the postwar era, Drexel embraced the clean lines of mid-century modernism with the Declaration collection designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart that featured elegant credenzas and more made in walnut, and the Profile and Projection collections designed with sculptural shapes by John Van Koert. In the 1970s, Drexel introduced high-end furniture in a Mediterranean style.
Drexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. It was managed by one of the original partners — Samuel Huffman — until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. Huffman took over as president. It was then that the company began to expand, with several acquisitions of competitors in the 1950s, including Table Rock Furniture, the Heritage Furniture Co. and more. With the manufacturer’s success — spurred by its embrace of advertising in home and garden magazines — it opened more factories in both North and South Carolina. By 1957, the company that had started with a factory of 50 workers had 2,300 employees and was selling its furniture nationwide.
Drexel underwent a series of name changes in its long history. Its acquisition of Southern Desk Company in 1960 bolstered its production of institutional furniture for dormitories, classrooms, churches and laboratories. In the following decades, contracts with government agencies, hotels, schools and hospitals brought its high-quality furniture to a global audience. U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers bought Drexel Enterprises in 1968, and it became Drexel Heritage Furnishings.
In 2014, the last Drexel Heritage plant, in Morganton, North Carolina, reportedly closed its doors. The company rebranded as Drexel in 2017.
The range of vintage Drexel furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes end tables designed by Edward Wormley, walnut side tables designed by Kipp Stewart and lots more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Swedesboro, NJ
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- John Van Koert Designed 'Counterpoint' for DrexelBy John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in Brooklyn, NYGreat mid-century design by John Van Koert with luxurious mahogany, blended with wild-grained cherry wood. Inset hardware, rounded lines and tapered legs. Six drawers and center cabi...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dressers
MaterialsWood, Cherry
- Vintage Drexel "Meridian" Cabinet by John Van KoertBy John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in Brooklyn, NYBring home out-of-this-world vintage design with the "Meridian" series from Carolina's Drexel Furniture! Designed by American modern pioneer John Van Koert, it features carved oak an...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsBrass
- Harvey Probber Designed Bar CartBy Harvey ProbberLocated in Brooklyn, NYMid-century modern cart designed by Harvey Probber with simple modern lines. Waxed mahogany frame and white glass top. Used for living room entertainment as a rolling dry bar. Please...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsMahogany
- Vintage Oak & Laminate Serving Cart for J.B. Van SciverBy J.B. Van Sciver CompanyLocated in Brooklyn, NYGive your home decor a vintage spin with this mid-century oak cart by Camden, New Jersey's J.B. Van Sciver Furniture Co. This free-wheeling design features a convenient pull-out draw...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsGlass, Laminate, Wood, Hardwood, Oak
- Design Institute of America Brass Serving Cart Milo Baughman StyleBy Milo BaughmanLocated in Brooklyn, NYFour-tier waterfall design brass serving/bar cart in the style of Milo Baughman. Please confirm item location (NY or NJ) with dealer.Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsBrass
- Italian Bar CartLocated in Brooklyn, NYVintage brass bar cart with black shelving and wine rack. (Please confirm item location - NY or NJ - with dealer).Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
- Modernist Desk by John Van Koert for DrexelBy John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in Sagaponack, NYA boldly angled modernist single pedestal desk having a distinctive raised gallery with sliding doors and a warm dark grey leather surface.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- John Van Koert for Drexel Coffee Table, 1950s, USABy Drexel, John Van KoertLocated in Miami, FLWonderful vintage condition John Van Koert for Drexel Coffee Table from the Casa del Sol Collection. 1957 USACategory
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Mid-Century Dining Table John Van Koert Drexel ProjectionBy John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in Baltimore, MDStunning vintage Mid-Century Modern walnut dining table in great original condition, designed by John Van Koert for the Drexel Projection line, circa...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Wonderful Drexel Rolling Bar Cart Mid-Century Modern, circa 1957By John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in Pemberton, NJWonderful folding rolling bar cart by Drexel, designed by John van Koert circa 1957. This piece is made of Italian walnut and retains its original finish. I love the removable solid...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsWalnut
- John Van Koert Walnut Leather Top Desk for Drexel, c.1965By John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in Costa Mesa, CAJohn Van Koert Walnut Leather Top Desk for Drexel, c.1965. This piece has been professionally restored.Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsSteel
- Midcentury Bench / Coffee Table by John Van Koert for DrexelBy John Van Koert, DrexelLocated in San Diego, CAModernist bench or table by John Van Koert for Drexel, superior quality and construction. Scaled down version of the Classic dining table, simple, elegant design. solid and sturdy fr...Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMahogany